(Metro New York City/Great Neck, NY) The Board of Directors of the Brain & Behavior Research Foundation (formerly National Alliance for Research on Schizophrenia and Depression or NARSAD), a nonprofit that has funded close to $300 million in mental health research grants since 1987, has named Jeffrey Borenstein, M.D., President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO). A board certified psychiatrist, Dr. Borenstein, has dedicated his professional life to the mental health field and to improving the lives of those with mental illness. He also serves as Editor-in-Chief of the American Psychiatric Association’s Psychiatric News, Associate Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons and host of the award-winning public TV series “Healthy Minds.”

“The Brain & Behavior Research Foundation Board is very proud to have Dr. Borenstein leading the organization. As we enter our second quarter-century of awarding research grants, Jeff’s vast leadership experience and psychiatric background will further the momentum we have gained so that we can achieve the goal of all of our contributors—to find the answers to better treat and ultimately prevent and cure mental illness,” says Stephen Lieber, Board Chairman.

“The Scientific Council looks forward to partnering with Dr. Borenstein to accelerate the funding of innovative research ideas that are often overlooked by traditional funding agencies,” says Herbert Pardes, M.D., Foundation Scientific Council President and Executive Vice Chair, Board of Trustees, NY-Presbyterian Hospital. “Psychiatry and neuroscience are flourishing with sophisticated new techniques and approaches to study the brain. With Dr. Borenstein at the helm, I am confident we will achieve a new level of funding support to further the advances being made at this key juncture.”

“I am honored to serve as President and CEO of the Brain & Behavior Research Foundation and to further its critical mission,” says Dr. Jeffrey Borenstein. “I have seen how research funded by the Foundation leads to productive lives for people with mental illness. But we have much more work to do. I am excited about this new challenge and look forward to working with all of the people associated with the Foundation who are so passionately committed to the cause. With scientific discovery there is hope for recovery and my goal is to substantially increase the amount of research we are able to support.”

Dr. Borenstein has received numerous awards and has been elected or appointed to many leadership roles in the mental health field. He is a graduate of Harvard University and New York University School of Medicine. For his biography, visit http://bbrfoundation.org/about/staff.